The Sermon Notes of Harold Buls

1. This account of the healing of the nobleman's son cannot be the same as
the account at Mt. 8:5-13 and Lk. 7:1-10. All that they have in common is
the locale (Capernaum) and healing at a distance.

2. Vs. 52 says that the boy was healed at the seventh hour. If that is
according to Jewish reckoning of time, 1 pm is meant. But if according to
Roman reckoning, 7 pm is meant. We cannot be dogmatic about this. Nor
need we be. We do know that the boy was completely restored to health in
the moment when Jesus spoke. That is sufficient for us.

3. Very likely this nobleman was a Jew because of what Jesus says in vs.
48. He said this often to the Jews. In this vs. Jesus is not condemning
signs. He is objecting because the Jews regarded signs only as sensational
wonders and mere entertainment. Jesus brought this nobleman from a
"signs" faith to a true saving faith in Jesus' Word. In vs. 49 the nobleman
asks Jesus to come to his house before his son would die. Jesus purposely
does not go. He focuses the man's attention on God's Word. Jesus says to
the nobleman: "Be on your way. Your son is alive." In other words: "Do not
worry. My Word can heal your son at a distance." We know that the boy was
healed in the very instant when Jesus spoke the Word. The father believed
this Word. So did his household, wife, children and servants. More than one
person was healed on that occasion.

4. Luther wrote about this text: "Although the Lord performed miracles and
signs to make Himself known and to lead people to faith in Him, the
underlying purpose was to focus their attention on the Word rather than on
the signs which served merely to attest the truth of His testimony. Faith
must rest on the Word of God."

5. Another Lutheran theologian wrote: "In affliction faith is practiced and
chastened. If a person does not see, taste and experience the help and
grace of the Lord, then that person learns to trust the Word and nothing
but the Word. That is the true faith, trusting the Lord for its own sake.
Such faith comes not from flesh and blood. It's the Lord to which faith
clings. That almighty Word works faith." Jesus afflicted this nobleman. He
led him from a "miracle" faith to a true faith in His Word. He does this to
us also.

6. In vs. 50 Jesus says: "Be on your way. Your son lives." This Word of Jesus
was not only a prophecy. It had the power to heal the sick boy. And this
Word took the nobleman's worries away.

7. When Jesus cleansed the Temple, Jn. 2:14-17, the Jews asked Him:
"What sign do you perform to prove that You have the right to do this?" He
said: "Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up." They
thought He was speaking about the physical Temple in Jerusalem. But He
was speaking about His own body, His death. In vs. 22 John tells us: "When
therefore He (Jesus) was raised from the dead His disciples remembered
that He had said this and so they believed the Scriptures and this Word
which Jesus had spoken." Jesus spoke of a sign which led His disciples to
His Word.

8. I Cor. 1:22 tells us: "Jews seek signs and Greeks seek wisdom but we
preach Christ crucified, an offense to the Jews and foolishness to the
Greeks but for those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the
power of God and the wisdom of God." To this day the Jews say: "Prove that
Jesus is true God." They want only signs. The Greeks still say: "Give us
human wisdom, philosophy." But what do we preach? We preach Christ
crucified for the sins of all men. That is what the Word of God says.

9. Just a few months before Jesus' death, the Jews said to Him in the
Temple: "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell
us plainly." Jesus replied: "I've told you but you won't believe. The works
which I perform in My Father's name testify about Me. But you will not
believe because you do not belong to My sheep."

The Sermon Outline of Harold Buls

On the Gospel Lessons of the Ingrian Lutheran Church of Russia

Text from John 4:46-53

Trinity XXI

THEME: Not By Signs But By Faith In His Word

INTRODUCTION

Evidently this nobleman became a true believer in Jesus because of what
Jesus said. When he came to Jesus, Jesus severely criticized his attitude.
But the next day when he arrived at his own house we are told that he
believed the Word of Jesus. He was changed from merely seeking signs to
faith in Jesus' Word.

I. THE WRONG ATTITUDE OF THE JEWS

The miracles of Jesus always did one of two things: Either they helped
people to believe that Jesus was the Messiah or it hardened them in their
unbelief. St. Paul said later: "The Jews seek signs but we preach Christ
crucified." I Cor. 1:22. What did he mean? When Jesus cleansed the Temple
(Jn. 2) the Jews asked Him: "What sign do you perform to show that you do
these things (cleanse the Temple)?" Jn. 2:18. His answer was about His
suffering and death. After Jesus had miraculously fed the 5000 the Jews
asked: "What sign do you do so that we might believe in You?" The feeding
of the 5000 did not impress them. When Jesus healed the blind man in
Jn. 9, the Jewish authorities would not believe that Jesus had performed the
miracle. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Jewish authorities
began to plan Jesus' death. About three months before Jesus' death the
Jewish authorities surrounded Him at the Temple and said: "If you are the
Christ tell us plainly." He answered: "I've told you but you won't believe.
The works which I do in My Father's name, these testify about Me. But you
do not believe because you are not My sheep." Jn. 10:22-26. Abraham told
the rich man in the parable: "If they don't listen to Moses and the Prophets,
neither will they be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead." Lk.
16:31. The Jews do not believe that Jesus rose from the dead. That's what
Jesus meant when He said to this nobleman: "Unless you (Jews) see signs,
namely wonders, you refuse to believe." This man accepted Jesus'
criticism. He said: "Lord, come before my child dies." Jesus said: "Go. Your
son lives." This command and promise converted this nobleman. We are
told: "The man believed the Word which Jesus had spoken to him and so he
went on his way." His going proved His believing.

II. JESUS REQUIRES FAITH IN HIS WORD

The Word of Jesus changed this nobleman's heart and life. Immediately
after Jesus said: "Go. Your son lives," we are told that he believed. And the
next day he was strengthened in this faith in Jesus' Word. When he learned
that his son became well at the moment when Jesus spoke His Word, he
believed and also his whole household believed too. What was a wonderful
occasion. What happened to this nobleman and his whole family was more
important than the healing of his son. The raising of Lazarus (Jn. 11) is
somewhat like this. Both Martha and Mary said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had
been here our brother would not have died." They were not trusting Jesus'
Word as they should have. To Martha He said: "I am the resurrection and the
life. He who believes in Me, though he dies, yet shall He live. And he who
lives and believes in Me shall never die." Then He asked her: "Do you believe
this?" and she said: "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of
God, Who has come into the world." And later He said to Martha: "Did I not
tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" Jesus permitted
Lazarus to die so that He could teach Martha and Mary a lesson. Jesus
permitted the nobleman's son to become very ill to teach this man to
believe in His Word.

CONCLUSION

So it is with us. Because of our sinful nature we often doubt the goodness
and power of our Lord Jesus. He wants us to believe that He is the Christ,
the Son of God, Who came into the world to die for our sins and prepare
heaven for us.

This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain. You may
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comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther
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